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MLB Mascots to Join Fans at MLB All-Star Game 5K & Fun Run

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Press Release |

Mr. Met and nine other MLB mascots will join Major League Baseball and former Mets pitcher and MLB All-Star Ambassador John Franco at the MLB All-Star Game 5K & Fun Run benefiting Sandy Relief presented by Nike on Saturday, July 13th in Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

Space is limited so participants are encouraged to sign up early. Registration and event information is available at AllStarGame.com/Run. Participants of all ages will make their way through an All-Star themed course inside Prospect Park that will feature appearances by MLB legends, mascots and celebrity guests. The event will count as part of the 9+1 Program to earn guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon for New York Road Runners members who meet eligibility requirements. Previous MLB All-Star Game 5K & Fun Run events have been held in St. Louis (2009), Anaheim (2010) and Kansas City (2012).

Participants of all ages will have the opportunity to create their own fundraising team profile page online. The top individual fundraisers will be rewarded with special All-Star experiences including tickets to All-Star events, throwing out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the Chevrolet Home Run Derby and the chance to join celebrities and legends on a team competing in the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. Awards will also be presented to the race's top finishers.

The 5K, an officially timed New York Road Runners event, will begin at 8:00 a.m. ET with the family-friendly 1.5 Mile Fun Run immediately following the 5K start. All registered participants will receive a commemorative event T-shirt. Registration is $35 (adult) and $30 (children 17 and under) for the 5K and Fun Run. Registration and event information is available at AllStarGame.com/Run, where fans interested in registering a team of participants can create a fundraising team profile page via a platform powered by Karma411.

Four-time All-Star John Franco has created "Team Franco" to participate in the All-Star 5K & Fun Run Benefiting Sandy Relief presented by Nike. Fans can register to be a part of his fundraising team at AllStarGame.com/Run. The Brooklyn, New York native compiled a career record of 90-87 with 424 saves and a 2.89 ERA over 1,119 appearances. A product of St. John's University, Franco ranks fourth on Major League Baseball's all-time saves list, and he holds the record for saves by a left-handed pitcher. Franco, who was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame last June, is currently in his fifth season as a Club Ambassador for the Mets.

MLB is working with New York Road Runners and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to organize the event and will donate all net proceeds to charities supporting relief from Superstorm Sandy. In the immediate wake of Superstorm Sandy, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association joined together to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Feeding America to assist emergency relief efforts in the most devastated areas along the East Coast affected by the storm. Additionally, MLB worked closely with all 30 MLB Clubs and its broadcasting and digital partners to encourage baseball fans to support the Red Cross via public service announcements, programming mentions and editorial coverage on MLB Network and MLB.com. In the weeks after the storm, Mets players and staff visited affected areas in Staten Island, Far Rockaway, Breezy Point, Coney Island and Long Beach bringing food and supplies to aid in the recovery. The New York Mets Foundation and David Wright also donated $250,000 to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City to support hurricane restoration efforts.